This is a piece I made in my high school AP Studio class. My senior year was when I decided to pursue a career in art. After my first year in art school, I took a break and went home to work full time. That is when gastroparesis would crush me like a mountain, and my view on life changed forever.

I learned that life is too short to not pursue what we truly love doing. I'm not going to let this disease stop me from being happy and achieving my goals. Like what one of my role models, Michael Vallely, says, "If you never give up, you'll eventually succeed."